Serbian tennis star strikes back at the ‘disrespectful’ Wimbeldone during a match with Holger Rune on July 8.
The 37-year-old, 24-time Grand Slam champion, after prevailing 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over No. 15, responded to the fans’ chants for Rune at Centre Court during a courtside interview, Forbes reported.
Djokovic said, “To all the fans that have respect and stayed here late tonight, thank you very much from the bottom of my heart. I appreciate it. And to all the people who chose to disrespect a great player, in this case me, have a gooooood night.”
Djokovic claimed that the fans booed him during the match, saying, “They were, they were, I don’t accept it. I know they were cheering Rune, but it’s an excuse to boo. Listen, I’ve been on the tour 20 years, I know all the tricks, it’s fine, it’s OK. I focus on the respectful people who pay for their tickets. Come tonight and love tennis and appreciate the players and the effort the players that they put in.”
The world no. 2 tennis star further added, “I played in a much more hostile environment; trust me, you guys can’t touch me. I’m feeling great on the court, take it day by day. I hit the practice courts tomorrow and analyse this match.”
After winning the match, Djokovic qualified for the Wimbledon 2024 quarterfinal against Alex de Minaur, scheduled for July 10.
